This invention relates to connectors for electrical circuits. More particularly, it involves a flexible circuit assembly and a method of making it.
A typical flexible circuit assembly as embodied in the prior art is shown in FIG. 1. The flexible circuit assembly includes a flexible interconnecting cable 10 which includes a plurality of spaced parallel conductors 12 which are encapsulated by an upper and lower layer of a flexible insulating film 14. In most applications, the flexible interconnecting cable 10 connects two rigid edge connectors (one of which is shown in FIG. 1) which are adapted to engage an external female socket. One type of connector is formed on a printed circuit board 16 and includes a plurality of printed conductors 18 thereon which correspond with the conductors 12 in the flexible interconnecting cable 10. In order to make the electrical connections between the conductors 18 on the connector and the conductors 12 of the flexible cable 10, one had to strip the insulating film 14 to bare the ends of the conductors 12. Then, a separate electrical connection was made between the conductors 12 of the flexible cable 10 and the conductors 18 on the connector. One widely used method is to solder the corresponding conductors together as shown as designated by the numeral 20. This has proved to be an extremely time consuming operation. Furthermore, the reliability of the connection has not been entirely satisfactory, especially when it is realized that the space between adjacent conductors may be as small as 0.005 inches. Other methods have been contemplated to connect the flexible cable with the rigid connectors. However, they have also had similar disadvantages. In any case, the prior art has required that some kind of separate connection be made between the conductors on or in the connectors and the conductors of the flexible cable. In other words, the prior art has considered flexible circuit assemblies as a discrete three component system (two rigid connectors and the flexible interconnecting cable) and consequently, has required some kind of connection between each component.